Thank you!
Your support is sustaining the future of local news in our communities.

Hotchkiss Library in Sharon comes closer to moving forward with ADA, expansion

Hotchkiss Library in Sharon comes closer to moving forward with ADA, expansion
Two of three approvals have now been given that would allow the Hotchkiss Library of Sharon to expand. Image courtesy Hotchkiss Library

SHARON — Upgrades and an expansion of the 128-year-old Hotchkiss Library of Sharon have been stymied for decades as the library board sought approvals from various town boards and commissions.

Two of the three approvals are now in hand, with the unanimous approval at the Monday, March 15, special meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA).

The addition to the rear of the library building, a $2.2 million project, will add approximately 1,600 square feet and bring the library into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), providing access and two ADA-compliant restrooms, said Executive Director Gretchen Hachmeister in an interview on Tuesday, March 23.

The library was donated to the town by Maria Hotchkiss and is on a tiny piece of land. The variance approves a 16-foot rear setback and it will allow a small amount of room for the addition’s gutter system. 

Four feet of variance will be allowed to accommodate the site plan provided by the architects, QA+M Architecture of Farmington, Conn. According to Ken McCoy, the QA+M representative at the ZBA meeting, every effort has been made to minimize any impact on neighboring properties.

The ZBA approval means that the application can return to consideration by the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) at their regular meeting in late April, the final step in the approval process.

If approved by the P&Z, groundbreaking could occur in the summer, anticipating that the addition could be closed in before the colder weather sets in, Hachmeister said. Interior work could be done during the winter months.

The ADA-compliant addition will be added to the rear of the library. Plans include a ground-level entrance with no ramp involved. Library patrons will be able to enter through an arched entrance at ground level and proceed to a lift that will bring them upstairs, Hachmeister explained.  

The arched entrance will be made of fabricated stone that visually matches the existing historic stonework. Hachmeister noted that best current historic preservation practices recommend working with materials that are similar to the original.

In addition to providing access, the new space will mean that all staff functions will be accommodated in that new location, freeing space in the book stacks for library patrons. There will be additional space for children and community activities, as well as enhanced internet access.

Leila Hawken

Latest News

Sharon voters split opioid settlement funds between ambulance, regional programs

Sharon voters split opioid settlement funds between ambulance, regional programs

Sharon voters approved splitting $24,000 in opioid settlement funds at an Aug. 27 town meeting.

Alec Linden

SHARON — Sharon voters unanimously approved splitting $24,000 in opioid settlement funds between the town’s ambulance service and a regional fund supporting addiction prevention, harm reduction and mental health services.

The decision Thursday, Aug. 27, came two months after voters rejected an earlier Board of Finance-backed proposal, 27-11, at a June 18 town meeting. Residents had expressed concern about directing all the money, which must be used for opioid remediation, to a regional organization rather than supporting the town’s emergency medical service.

Keep ReadingShow less
municipality

At Peggy Mercury, prep meets punk in ‘Imaginary Concerts’

At Peggy Mercury, prep meets punk in ‘Imaginary Concerts’
Greg Fricke and James Boehmer, co-owners of Peggy Mercury in Kent, recently launched their first fashion line, “Imaginary Concerts.”
Provided

Last month, James Boehmer and Greg Fricke of Peggy Mercury launched their first fashion line, “Imaginary Concerts,” wearable art sold exclusively at their store in the Kent Barns section of Kent, Connecticut.

The two fashion industry veterans opened Peggy Mercury more than two years ago, and a quick visit will tell you that people are finding what they’re looking for at the beauty and lifestyle store. But what they’re looking for is never standard.

Keep ReadingShow less
fashion

“Girlbomb” at 20

“Girlbomb” at 20
Photo by Jessica YurkoMillerton author Janice Erlbaum will celebrate the 20th anniversary of her memoir “Girlbomb” at Black Rabbit Dispensary on Sept. 5.
Photo by Jessica YurkoMillerton author Janice Erlbaum will celebrate the 20th anniversary of her memoir “Girlbomb” at Black Rabbit Dispensary on Sept. 5.
With memoir...the character only knows what the character knows.
—Janice Erlbaum

In “Girlbomb: A Halfway Homeless Memoir,” published in 2006, author Janice Erlbaum wrote about the years after she left her family’s Brooklyn apartment at 15, moving through shelters, group homes, squats, clubs and the streets of 1980s New York while somehow continuing to attend high school. The book has sold more than 75,000 copies, stayed in print for two decades and continues to find new readers.

Now Erlbaum, 57, lives in Millerton and on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 7:30 p.m., she will celebrate the 20th anniversary of “Girlbomb” with a reading at Black Rabbit Dispensary. The event is open to the public and will be livestreamed on Instagram.

Keep ReadingShow less
our community
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

Spencertown’s 21st Festival Of Books

Spencertown’s 21st Festival Of Books
Joshua Jelly-Schapiro, author of “Daylight Come: Harry Belafonte and the World He Made” is one of thefeatured authors at the Spencertown Academy Festival of Books on Saturday, Sept. 5.
Mirissa Neff

On Saturday, Sept. 5, the Spencertown Academy Arts Center in Spencertown, New York, will host its 21st annual Book Festival.

With over 20,000 gently used books, CDs, DVDs and vinyl donated by the community, it took volunteers 45 days — and an estimated 750 hours —to set the whole thing up. Most of that time was spent sorting through the vast troves of donations and organizing them by category.

Keep ReadingShow less
community

Paul Newman racing doc to screen in North Canaan on Sunday

Paul Newman racing doc to screen in North Canaan on Sunday
“Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman,”will be screened Sunday, Sept. 6, at the Colonial Theatre in North Canaan.
Provided

On Sunday, Sept. 6, Lime Rock Park will host a screening of the documentary “Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman” at the Colonial Theatre in North Canaan at 7 p.m.

Newman was one of the most celebrated actors of the 20th century, known for films including “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “Hud” and “Cool Hand Luke.” His 1969 film “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” also began a decades-long friendship with co-star Robert Redford.

Keep ReadingShow less
film

Community to take center stage at Dive Barn

Community to take center stage at Dive Barn

A scene from last year’s Dance Barn.

Steven Tayler

On Sunday, Sept. 6, PS21 in Chatham, New York, will host a celebration of community through dance at its second annual Dive Barn performance at the organization’s Dance Barn.

Dive Barn is the brainchild of dancer, teacher and choreographer Sayer Mansfield, who has dedicated her life to contemporary and experimental dance. She studied in the Department of Dance at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and at the Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance. She’s performed with companies including Pilobolus, Compagnie Marie Chouinardand Mark Morris Dance Group. Her work has been featured in films including “Little Women,” “Maestro” and “Sproutland.” She has served on the faculties of Jacob’s Pillow, Phillips Academy Andover, as well as Harvard and Yale Universities.

Keep ReadingShow less
dance
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.